MB Tutorials v75

MotionBuilder Tutorials
Version 7.5
March 2006
Copyright 2006 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Document:
Version:
MotionBuilder 7.5
Date:
March 2006
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Contents
About the MotionBuilder Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installing tutorial files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Installing the proper FBX Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
MotionBuilder workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lesson 1 Loading and characterizing character models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Prepare the scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Complete the character map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Characterize the character model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Lesson 2 Creating and Customizing a Control rig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Prepare the scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Create a Control rig. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Adjust the foot floor contact markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Adjust the hand floor contact markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Add Auxiliary pivots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lesson 3 Creating a Character Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Connect the extra limb to the character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Create a Character Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Lesson 4 Creating a Walk Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

iii
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Create poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Create animation with poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Mirror poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Play the animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Lesson 5 Retargeting Character Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Save the character animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Create a new scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Load character animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Play the animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Lesson 6 Editing Character Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Modify the Character Extension animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Modify the head animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Plot the animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Play the resulting take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Lesson 7 Creating a Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Preparing your scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Create a Character track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Create poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Matching clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Processing the clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Testing the walk cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
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Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Lesson 8 Manipulating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Prepare the scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Create a turn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Blend two clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Add another clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Match clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
v
Table of Contents
Version 7.5
vi
About the MotionBuilder

Tutorials
This book includes a set of eight Autodesk MotionBuilder tutorials that
provide a common MotionBuilder workflow and also demonstrate how
to use the more powerful keyframe and character animation features.
The process of using MotionBuilder is shown in "MotionBuilder
workflow" on page 3. The actual tutorials are as follows:
Loading and characterizing character models (page 7)
Creating and Customizing a Control rig (page 19)
Creating a Character Extension (page 33)
Creating a Walk Cycle (page 45)
Retargeting Character Animation (page 63)
Editing Character Animation (page 75)
Creating a Loop (page 89)
Manipulating Clips (page 105)
Note
Before you begin, ensure that the tutorial files

have been installed. See "Installing tutorial files"
on page 2.
1
About the MotionBuilder Tutorials

Installing tutorial files
Installing tutorial files

Before you continue, ensure you have installed the tutorial files by
starting MotionBuilder and viewing the Asset browser. If the tutorials
are installed, the Tutorials folder displays in the Asset browser (figure
1-1).
figure 1-1: The Tutorials folder displays in the Asset browser.
If the Asset browser does not contain this folder, you must obtain the
MotionBuilder 7.5 CD and re-install MotionBuilder. On both Windows
and Mac OS X, the tutorial files are installed by default.
Installing the proper FBX Plug-ins

To facilitate transferring models and animation between different
software packages, Autodesk develops plug-ins for the following major
3D software products:
3ds max
Lightwave
Maya
Softimage XSI
Each plug-in is referred to as an FBX Plug-in since it lets you import

and export files using the .fbx file format.
2

MotionBuilder workflow
Besides Autodesk, other software companies have also developed

compatibility or plug-ins to import and export .fbx files. For a list of
companies that support the .fbx file format consult the Autodesk Web
site (select Help > FBX initiative in MotionBuilder).
For information on how to install FBX Plug-ins, consult the
documentation for each plug-in. Depending on which modelling
software you are using, its version, and your platform (Windows or Mac
OS X), the installation instructions will differ.
This section describes a common workflow that introduces the eight
tutorials provided to help you become familiar with the using
MotionBuilder. For any steps in the workflow that do not include a
dedicated tutorial, you can find more information in the MotionBuilder
Help.
Although the tutorials introduced here assume you are using
MotionBuilder for a character animation project, this workflow can be
easily adapted to any animation project where MotionBuilder is used in
conjunction with other 3D modeling or rendering software.
The basic workflow for using MotionBuilder can be summarized as
follows:
1
Install the necessary FBX Plug-ins so you can transfer your work
from other 3D software packages into and out of MotionBuilder.
For example, if you are using Maya for character modelling, you
need to install the Maya FBX Plug-in so that you can transfer the
models you create into MotionBuilder. See "Installing the proper
FBX Plug-ins" on page 2.
Create a character model in your 3D modeling software of choice.

Before starting your animation project using MotionBuilder, there
are a few things you can do when modelling to make working with
MotionBuilder easier. Refer to "Guidelines for creating a character
3

model" on page 1230, "Bone naming conventions" on page 1261,

and "Choosing shapes to create" on page 1558 in the
MotionBuilder Help for more information.
3
Export the character model from your modelling software package.

When you export your work from a modelling software package, the
FBX Plug-in you have installed lets you save your character model
in the .fbx file format. This format lets you load your models in
MotionBuilder.
Start MotionBuilder and load your character model.

Once you load a model into MotionBuilder, you can set it up to be
animated using the MotionBuilder Character asset.
Add a Character asset for your character model and characterize it.
The Character asset helps you to map out the structure of your
character model so that it can be animated in MotionBuilder. Once
you have completed this mapping process, you activate the
character model by characterizing it. Characterizing lets
MotionBuilder know that this character model is ready to be
animated.
All major character animation features in MotionBuilder, including
Control rigs and animating in the Story window, require a
characterized character.
The first tutorial, Loading and characterizing character models on
page 7, shows how to create a Character asset and use it to map
out your character models structure.
Add a Control rig and customize it to fit your character animation

needs.
Control rigs are an animation tool that make it easy to control and
position your character model. The second tutorial, Creating and
Customizing a Control rig on page 19, covers information on how
to customize a Control rig and how to add character animation
features such as floor contacts and Auxiliary pivots.
4

Add Character Extensions to support props or non-human body

parts.
The third tutorial shows you how to augment your character with an
extra limb, in this case a Servo arm with giant pincers attached
to the characters right shoulder. See Creating a Character
Extension on page 33.
Create your animation using different keyframing and character

animation features.
One efficient method of creating animating involves creating a

set of poses that can be pasted onto your character at various
points over time. The fourth tutorial shows how to use the
Control rig and the Pose Controls to create a walk cycle. See
Creating a Walk Cycle on page 45.
The seventh tutorial shows you an alternative method for

creating a walk cycle using clips in the Story window. See
Creating a Loop on page 89.
Edit and refine your animation.

The following tutorials show how to modify and edit animation:
The sixth tutorial, Editing Character Animation on page 75,

shows how to use layers to edit animation.
The last tutorial, Manipulating Clips on page 105, shows

how to combine different animations using the Story window to
create new animations.
10 Retarget your animation between Character models.

Although not a necessary step in creating animation within
MotionBuilder, during animation projects, the Character model you
are using might change. Instead of re-creating the animation on
the new model, you can simply retarget the animation from your
existing file. The fifth tutorial shows how to transfer animation and
Character Extensions between character models. See Retargeting
Character Animation on page 63.
11 Plot your finished animation to your models skeleton.
5

Depending on the animation features that you are using to create

your character animation, plotting may consist of plotting from your
Control rig to your character model skeleton, or plotting the tracks
in the Story window to a single take.
Whatever method you use to animate, the finished result must be
plotted to the skeleton of your character model before you export
it. See "The plotting process" on page 1805 in the MotionBuilder
Help for more information.
12 Save your plotted model as an .fbx file.
Your finished animations can also be exported for rendering in the
software of your choice using the appropriate FBX Plug-In.
6
LESSON 1 LOADING AND CHARACTERIZING CHARACTER

MODELS
This tutorial takes you through the steps necessary to bring your
character models into MotionBuilder and get them ready for animation.
Each character model brought into MotionBuilder has to be
characterized before you can create a Control rig, create poses, and
use other animation tools. In order to characterize a character model,
you need to map out its structure.
The major steps of this tutorial include:
1
Prepare the scene (see page 7).
Complete the character map (see page 9).
Characterize the character model (see page 15).
Prepare the scene

In this step, you will prepare the MotionBuilder scene and open the
files needed to start this tutorial.
1
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
7
Lesson 1 | Loading and characterizing character models

Prepare the scene
Select the Tutorials folder in the Asset browser, drag the

mia_blue.fbx file into the Viewer window (figure 1-1), then select
FBX Open > No Animation from the contextual menu that appears.
figure 1-1: Drag mia_blue.fbx into the Viewer window.
A model named Mia appears in the Viewer window (figure 1-2).
figure 1-2: Mia appears in the scene.
This character model was created in Maya, and the bones were
named according to the naming conventions found in
MotionBuilders Mapping list.
Version 7.5
8

Complete the character map

In this step, you define the structure of your character model for
MotionBuilder by completing the required nodes in the Mapping list.
Character mapping describes the character model for MotionBuilder,
indicating what are the legs, arms, and so on.
For the purposes of this tutorial, you will manually map out Mias
structure. You can also automatically map and characterize a character
by dragging the Character asset directly onto a character model.
1
From the Templates > Characters folder of the Asset browser, drag
a Character asset into an empty area of the scene (figure 1-3).
figure 1-3: Drag a Character asset from the Asset browser into the scene.
9

A Character asset is added in the Scene browser (figure 1-4, A)

and the Character Settings open in the Navigator window (figure 14, B).
B
figure 1-4: Navigator window A. A Character is added in the Scene browser. B. The Character
Settings display.
Switch to the Character Definition pane in the Character Settings

and expand the Base (required) group of nodes in the Mapping list
(figure 1-5, A).
figure 1-5: Character Definition pane A. Base nodes
This group of nodes are required for MotionBuilder to recognize the

structure of your character model. If you had automatically
characterized this character, the Mapping list would be populated
with the characters bone names.
Version 7.5
10

In the Viewer window, switch to the Schematic view (Ctrl-W) and

press A to frame the hierarchy (figure 1-6).
figure 1-6: Schematic view of Mias structure
The Schematic view makes it easier to select bones from the

models hierarchy because each bone is represented as a
rectangular node.
4
In the Scene browser (figure 1-7, A), activate the Lock option
(figure 1-7, B) to lock the view of the Character Definition pane.
B
figure 1-7: Navigator window A. Scene browser B. Lock option
11

In the Schematic view, zoom in (Ctrl-drag) and select the

Mia:LeftUpLeg node (figure 1-8).
figure 1-8: Select the LeftUpLeg node in the Schematic view.
Tip
Version 7.5
12
When you know the exact name of the node you

are looking for in the Schematic view, you can
press Shift-N to open the Find Model by Name
dialog box and do a quick search

Alt-drag the LeftUpLeg node into the LeftUpLeg slot of the Mapping
list (figure 1-9).
figure 1-9: Alt-drag Mias LeftUpLeg bone into the LeftUpLeg field.
When you characterize this character, MotionBuilder recognizes

that for this skeleton the LeftUpLeg node is called
Mia:LeftUpLeg.
7
Use figure 1-10 and the following checklist as guides to map the
rest of Mias bones to the Base (required) nodes in the Mapping
list.
Slot
Bone
Hips
Mia:Hips
LeftUpLeg
Mia:LeftUpLeg
LeftLeg
Mia:LeftLeg
Mapped
13

Slot
Bone
LeftFoot
Mia:LeftFoot
RightUpLeg
Mia:RightUpLeg
RightLeg
Mia:RightLeg
RightFoot
Mia:RightFoot
Spine
Mia:Spine
LeftArm
Mia:LeftArm
LeftForeArm
Mia:LeftForeArm
LeftHand
Mia:LeftHand
RightArm
Mia:RightArm
RightForeArm
Mia:RightForeArm
RightHand
Mia:RightHand
Head
Mia:Head
Mapped
Although Mia has many bones, you are only required to map the
Base group of fifteen for MotionBuilder characterization.
Version 7.5
14

Characterize the character model
After you have completed the character mapping process for the
Base group, the Mapping list resembles figure 1-10.
figure 1-10: All of Mias bones are mapped to the Base nodes in the
Mapping list and the character mapping is complete.

This step shows you how to characterize a model. The moment you
characterize a character model, MotionBuilder reads the structure you
have outlined in the Mapping list, taking the models current pose as
the base for all future poses and movement.
15

In the Character Definition pane, activate the Characterize option

(figure 1-11, A).
figure 1-11: Character Definition pane A. Activate the Characterize option.
In the Character dialog box that appears, click Biped (figure 1-12,
A), since the Mia skeleton stands on two legs and makes contact
with the floor using only the feet.
figure 1-12: A. Select Biped in

the dialog box that appears.
Generic offsets are calculated so that the character is compatible

with any source, the character is characterized, and MotionBuilder
recognizes its structure. The nodes in the Mapping list are gray
and cannot be edited.
Note
Version 7.5
16
If you want to add more bones or edit the Mapping

list later, you can temporarily disable the
Characterize option when your character is in a Tstance.

In the Scene browser, right-click the Character asset, select

Rename from the contextual menu, and name the character Mia
(figure 1-13, A).
figure 1-13: Scene browser

A. Rename the Character asset.
Your character is now fully characterized and ready to be animated.
Summary
In this tutorial, you loaded a character model, mapped out its
structure, and characterized it. In the next tutorial, Creating and
Customizing a Control rig on page 19, you will create and customize a
Control rig for your characterized character.
17

Version 7.5
18
LESSON 2 CREATING AND CUSTOMIZING A CONTROL

RIG
This tutorial shows you how to create a Control rig and customize it for
creating animation in later tutorials. After you have created,
customized, and saved a Control rig, you can reuse it for other models.
1
Create a Control rig (see page 20).
Adjust the foot floor contact markers (see page 24).
Add Auxiliary pivots (see page 30).
Prepare the scene

1
Editing.
tutorial.
19
Lesson 2 | Creating and Customizing a Control rig

Create a Control rig

mia_characterized.fbx file into the Viewer window, then select FBX
Open > No Animation from the contextual menu that appears. A
model named Mia appears in the Viewer (fig 4-1).
figure 2-1: Drag Mia_characterized from the Asset browser into the Viewer window.

In this step, you will create and prepare a Control rig for the Mia
character.
1
Version 7.5
20
Expand the Characters folder in the Scene browser and doubleclick the Mia character (figure 2-2, A).

The Character Settings for Mia appear in the Navigator window

(figure 2-2, B).
B
figure 2-2: Navigator window A. Double-click Mia in the Scene browser B. The Character
Settings display.
In the Character Settings, switch to the Character Definition pane

(figure 2-3, A) and click Create in the Control Rig area (figure 2-3,
B).
A
B
figure 2-3: Character Settings A. Switch to the Character Definition

pane. B. Click Create in the Control Rig area.
In the Create Control Rig dialog box that appears, select FK/IK
(figure 2-4, A).
figure 2-4: Create Control Rig

dialog box A. Select the FK/IK
option.
An FK/IK Control rig is created for the Mia Character.

21

In the Character Controls window, activate the Ctrl Rig In option.

This makes the Control rig the active motion source for the Mia
character.
figure 2-5: Character Controls

A. Ctrl Rig In option
Click in the Viewer window, then press Ctrl-A until you are in X-Ray
display mode.
In X-Ray display mode, you can see the FK and IK effectors that
make up the Control rig. The blue and red IK effectors let you
intuitively manipulate the character using a setup that simulates
how the human body moves. The yellow FK effectors let you
selectively fine-tune individual body parts. If you plan to do any
fine-tuning with your own characters, create Control rigs with both
FK and IK effectors.
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In the Character Controls window, open the Show menu (figure 2-6,
A) and disable the Skeleton option.

This hides the characters skeleton so you can see the FK and IK
Control rig effectors clearly in the Viewer window (figure 2-6, B).
B
figure 2-6: A. Select the objects you want to display in the Show menu.
B. The Control rig displays on the Mia character.
Switch back to view the Character Settings pane (figure 2-7, B).
A
figure 2-7: Character Settings pane A. Input Type menu

B. Active option
The Control rig is also shown as the active motion source by the
Input Type menu and the Active option in the Character Settings
pane (figure 2-7, A and B).
23

Adjust the foot floor contact markers

In this step, you will adjust how the characters feet touch the floor
using the floor contact markers.
The floor contact markers are the blue and green markers that appear
around the characters hands and feet when you characterize your
character model. These markers create an invisible grid that
determines where the characters feet come in contact with the floor.
When no floor object is defined in the Mapping list of the Character
Definition pane, the MotionBuilder grid is used as the floor. In this
tutorial, the floor is not defined.
1
In the Character Controls window, make sure Floor Contact is

active in the Show menu (figure 2-8, A).

A. Show menu > Floor Contact
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The green and blue floor contact markers display around Mias
hands and feet (figure 2-9).
figure 2-9: Green and blue floor contact markers display around Mias hands and feet.
In the Viewer window, switch to Producer Right camera view (Ctrl-R)

and zoom in on Mias feet.
figure 2-10: Switch to Producer

right and zoom in on the feet.
Select one of the floor contact markers underneath Mias feet and
translate it, using the following guidelines and figure 2-11 for the
marker placement:
Align the middle marker where the toe bone starts (figure 211, B).
Align the front marker with the toe of the model (figure 2-11,
A).
25

Align the rear marker with the heel of the model (figure 2-11,
C).
figure 2-11: Placement of Mias foot floor contact markers A. Front marker B. Middle marker
C. Rear marker
Note
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26
Moving one foot marker adjusts the other markers

accordingly so that when you adjust the green
markers on Mias left foot, the blue markers on the
right foot are adjusted as well.

Switch to Producer Front view (Ctrl-F), zoom in on the feet (Ctrldrag), and translate the foot markers right or left to position them
at the edges of the feet as shown in figure 2-12.
figure 2-12: Left and right position of the markers
In the Character Settings pane, expand Floor Contacts (figure 2-13,

A) and activate the Feet Floor Contact option (figure 2-13, B) to
activate the floor contact for the feet.
A
B
figure 2-13: Character Settings pane A. Floor Contacts group of

properties B. Feet Floor Contact option
27

Adjust the hand floor contact markers

In this step, you will define the floor contact for the hands so that if
Mias hands touch the floor, they will react realistically.
1
In the Scene browser, double-click the Mia character to open the

Character Settings, if they are not already open.
In the Character Settings pane, expand Floor Contacts (figure 2-14,

A) if it is not already expanded, and activate the Hands Floor
Contact (figure 2-14, B) and the Fingers Floor Contact (figure 2-14,
C) options to activate the floor contact for the hands and fingers.
A
B
C
figure 2-14: Character Settings pane A. Floor Contacts B. Hands

Floor Contact C. Fingers Floor Contact
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Expand the Hands Floor Contact Setup option and select Wrist
from the Hands Contact Type menu (figure 2-15, A).
A
B
figure 2-15: Character Setting pane A. Expand the Hands Floor
Contact Setup group B. Select Wrist as the Hands Contact Type.
By default, the Hands Contact Type is set to Normal, which gives

Mia six hand floor contact markers. Changing this option to Wrist
gives each hand four floor contact markers for basic control.
4
Zoom in on one of Mias hands in the Viewer window. Use various

camera views, the following guidelines, and figure 2-16 to place
the hand floor contact markers:
Align the rear hand markers with the wrist
Translate the rear markers lower on the Y-axis to align them

with the base of the palm
Align the front markers with the base of the fingers (not
including the thumb)
figure 2-16: Placement of hand floor contact markers
29

Add Auxiliary pivots

In this step, you will create two Auxiliary pivots that give you additional
control over the IK system on Mias Control rig. These Auxiliary objects
can be used to create realistic rotation on Mias feet as she walks.
They also make it easier to rotate Mias feet while creating keyframe
animation.
1
In the Character Controls window, right-click the Left Ankle cell and
select Create Aux Pivot from the contextual menu (figure 2-17, A).

A. Select Create Aux Pivot from
the Left Ankle effector cell
contextual menu.
A new Auxiliary pivot is created for the left ankle IK effector (figure
2-18, A). The Auxiliary pivot displays on the left ankle cell in the
Character Controls window as a blue X (fig 14-7, B).
A
B
figure 2-18: A. The Auxiliary pivot displays in the
Viewer window. B. A blue X represents the Auxiliary
pivot in the Character Controls.
By default, the foot effector is deselected when you create the

Auxiliary pivot, and the Auxiliary pivot is selected.
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In the Viewer window, select Pivot from the Selection mode menu
to switch to Pivot Selection mode (figure 2-19).
figure 2-19: Selection mode menu A. Select Pivot to switch to Pivot Selection mode.
Select the Auxiliary pivot you created, if it is not already selected,

and translate it until it is placed at the tip of Mias toes (figure 220).
A
figure 2-20: Place the Left Ankle Auxiliary pivot A. Front view B. Side view
Note
You can use the Show menu in the Character

Controls to hide the Control rig effectors and floor
contact markers as you place the Auxiliary pivots.
31

Right-click the Left Ankle cell again and select Create Aux Pivot
from the contextual menu (figure 2-21).
figure 2-21: Create a second

Auxiliary pivot on the left ankle.
A second Auxiliary pivot displays in the Viewer window.

5
Translate the second Auxiliary pivot to display at the heel of the

foot (figure 2-22).
figure 2-22: Translate the Auxiliary

pivot to display at the heel.
Summary
During this tutorial, you created a Control rig, arranged the floor
contact markers on the characters feet, then created two Auxiliary
pivots to control the rotation of the foot. In the next tutorial, Creating
a Character Extension on page 33, you will add a Character Extension
to the Mia character.
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LESSON 3 CREATING A CHARACTER EXTENSION
This tutorial takes you through necessary steps to create a Character

Extension that lets you control extra appendages for a character.
In this tutorial, you will load an additional limb for the Mia character,
attach it to her using a Character Extension, and define how it will be
keyframed as part of her body.
1
Connect the extra limb to the character (see page 35).
Create a Character Extension (see page 39).
Prepare the scene

1
Editing.
tutorial.
33
Lesson 3 | Creating a Character Extension

Prepare the scene
Select the Tutorials folder in the Asset browser, drag

mia_rigged.fbx into the Viewer window, then select FBX Open > No
Animation from the contextual menu that appears. A characterized
character named Mia appears in the Viewer window (figure 3-1).
figure 3-1: Drag mia_rigged.fbx into the Viewer window.
Drag the servo.fbx file into the scene and select FBX Merge > No
animation from the contextual menu.
figure 3-2: Drag servo.fbx into the Viewer window.
A Servo arm is loaded into the scene, positioned over her

shoulder. In the next steps, you will attach this arm to Mia as
another limb.
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Connect the extra limb to the character

In this step you will create a Parent-Child relationship between the
Servo arm and Mias shoulder.
1
Switch to X-Ray display mode (Ctrl-A) in the Viewer window.
In the Character Controls window, select Mia as the current

character and activate the Skeleton option in the Show menu
(figure 3-3, A).
figure 3-3: A. Activate Skeleton in the Character Controls Show menu.

B. The Skeleton displays on the Mia character.
This shows the characters skeleton (figure 3-3, B) and makes it

easier to view and select Mias shoulder bone.
3
Click in the Viewer window then do the following:
Press Ctrl-W to switch to the Schematic view.
Right-click in the Schematic view and select Auto-Arrange from

the contextual menu.
Press A to frame the hierarchies.
35

The Schematic view displays a hierarchy for Mias skeleton (figure

3-4, A), her Control rig (figure 3-4, B), and a third hierarchy for the
Servo arm (figure 3-4, C).
figure 3-4: Schematic view of hierarchies in the scene. A. Mias skeleton. B. Mias Control rig
C. The Servo arm
Zoom in on the Servo arm hierarchy at the right of the view (figure
3-4, C), and select the ServoMaster node.
figure 3-5: Select the

ServoMaster node in the
Schematic view.
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Switch back to the Producer camera view (Ctrl-W) and zoom in on

Mias right shoulder. The ServoMaster node null is still selected.
figure 3-6: The ServoMaster null is selected

in the Viewer window.
Press P to activate Parenting mode, then drag the ServoMaster null

to the Mia:RightShoulder bone (figure 3-7, A).
The bone is highlighted green as you parent the Servo arm. This
parents the Servo arm to the right shoulder bone (figure 3-7, B).
A
figure 3-7: A. Parenting the ServoMaster null to Mias right shoulder bone. B. After parenting.
37

Switch to the Schematic view to verify that the Servo arm is a child
of the Mia:RightShoulder bone (figure 3-8). When you have verified
this, switch back to the Producer Perspective view.
A
B
figure 3-8: Verify the parenting operation. A. Mia:RightShoulder bone B. Servo arm hierarchy
Select the ServoControl effector at the end of Mias Servo arm

(figure 3-9, A) and parent it onto Mias right shoulder bone as well.
figure 3-9: A. ServoControl effector B. Right shoulder bone.
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Create a Character Extension

In this step you will create a Character Extension that lets you connect
the Servo arm to the Mia character so that they can be controlled and
keyframed together.
1
In the Scene browser, expand Characters, right-click Mia, and

select Create Character Extension from the contextual menu (figure
3-10, A).
figure 3-10: Scene browser A. Create Character Extension
Expand the new Character Extensions folder in the Scene browser

and view the Mia Extension (figure 3-11, C).
A
B
figure 3-11: Scene browser

A. A Character Extension is added to
the character. B. A Character
Extensions heading is added to the
Scene browser. C. The Character
Extension is named for the
character.
39

Alt-drag the ServoControl effector from the Viewer window onto the
Mia Extension and select Add to Mia Extension from the contextual
menu that appears.
figure 3-12: A. Select the ServoControl effector. B. Alt-drag the ServoControl

effector onto the Mia Extension and select Add to Mia Extension.
The Servo arm is defined as a Character Extension of Mia, and is

considered as a new body part of the character.
4
With the ServoControl effector still selected, open the Properties

window (figure 3-13).
figure 3-13: Properties window
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40

Select the custom property Close_Open at the bottom of the list,

and drag its slider left and right. In the Viewer window, the pincer
moves on the Servo arm (figure 3-14).
B
figure 3-14: Slide the Close_Open property (B) to manipulate the Servo arms pincers (A).
Alt-drag the Close_Open property over the Mia Extension (figure 315, A) and select Create 1 Property Reference from the contextual
menu (figure 3-15, B).
A
figure 3-15: A. Alt-drag the Close_Open property to the Mia Extension. B. Select Create 1
Property Reference.
41

Select the Mia Extension in the Scene browser (figure 3-16, A),
then activate the Lock option in the Properties window (figure 3-16,
B) so that the Mia Extension properties stay open no matter what
you select.
B
figure 3-16: A. Select the Character Extension. B. Lock the Properties window.
Define Mias right shoulder bone as the Reference object for the
Character Extension by Alt-dragging the Mia:RightShoulder bone
(figure 3-17, A) into the Reference Object field in the Properties
window (figure 3-17, B).
figure 3-17: Drag Mia:RightShoulder (A) into the Reference object field (B).
The Reference object for your Character Extension is used to

calculate all future positioning of the Extension, for example when
the Character Extension is included in a pose.
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You can also use the Include Part In Full Body option to define
whether you want the Character Extension to be keyed when you
set keys in Full Body Keying mode.
Summary
In this tutorial you added an extra limb to the Mia character by creating
a Character Extension. In the next tutorial, Creating a Walk Cycle on
page 45, you will animate the character and the Character Extension
using the Pose Controls.
43

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LESSON 4 CREATING A WALK CYCLE
This tutorial guides you though the process of using poses to create a
walk cycle.
1
Create poses (see page 46).
Create animation with poses (see page 54).
Mirror poses (see page 58).
Play the animation (see page 61).
Prepare the scene

1
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new 3D scene using the Editing layout.
This layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
45
Lesson 4 | Creating a Walk Cycle

Create poses

mia_servo.fbx file into the Viewer window, then select FBX Open >
No Animation from the contextual menu that appears. A model
named Mia appears in the Viewer (figure 4-1).
figure 4-1: Drag the mia_servo.fbx file into the scene.
This character includes an extra Servo arm that is parented to

the right shoulder bone and added as a Character Extension.
Create poses
In this step, you will create several full body poses on your character,
including the Character Extension, that will be used in the following
steps to create a walk cycle.
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Create poses
In the Character Controls window, select Mia in the Current

Character menu (figure 4-2, A).
A

window A. Current Character menu
Ctrl-click to select the wrist and ankle effectors (figure 4-3, A) and
turn off all effector pinning by disabling the T and R options in the
Effector Pinning area (figure 4-3, B).
C
A
figure 4-3: Character Controls window A. Select the Wrist

and Ankle effector cells. B. Disable the T and R pinning on
these effectors. C. Full Body Keying mode is active.
By default, Full Body is the selected keying mode (figure 4-3, C). In
this mode, pasted poses are placed onto the characters entire
body, and keyframes are placed on all effectors.
47

Create poses
Select the Left Shoulder effector then rotate the effector until
Mias left arm is in a more natural position at her side. Repeat for
the Right Shoulder and right arm (figure 4-4).
figure 4-4: Select the shoulder effectors, then

rotate the arms down to Mias sides.
Select both wrist effectors and translate them upward on the Yaxis to give the elbows a natural bend (figure 4-5).
figure 4-5: Select both wrist effectors and

translate them upward to create a natural bend
in the elbows.
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Create poses
Choose a camera view that lets you see a side view of the
character. For example you can press Ctrl-R to switch to the
Producer Right camera view (figure 4-6, B).
figure 4-6: Switch to Producer Right camera view.
Note
As you work through this tutorial and manipulate

the character, you can switch the camera view at
any time to get a better view.
Create the first pose for the walk cycle (figure 4-7) by doing the
following:
In the Character Controls, select the Right Hip effector then

rotate the right leg forward on the X-axis, as if Mia is stepping
forward.
Select the Left Hip effector and rotate the left leg slightly
backward on the X-axis.
Select the Right Shoulder effector and rotate the right arm
slightly backward on the X-axis, then select the Left Shoulder
rotate the left arm forward as if Mia is naturally swinging her
arms.
49

Create poses
Select the Auxiliary pivots on Mias feet and rotate them until
her feet are positioned naturally.
In general, this pose should have Mia with her right leg
beginning the forward motion of a step (figure 4-7).
figure 4-7: The first pose for the walk cycle.
Note
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50
If your transformations cause Mia to float above

the floor, select the Hips effector and translate
Mia downward at any time. The default floor
contact makes Mias feet interact naturally with
the default floor.

Create poses
In the Pose Controls window, click Create to add this pose to the
Pose browser (figure 4-8, A), then right-click and rename the pose
Walk 01 (figure 4-8, B). You may need to expand the Poses
folder to see the pose.
B
A
figure 4-8: Pose Controls A. Click

Create. B. Right-click and rename
the Pose Walk 01.
The position of the Character Extension is included with the

position of Mias body in this pose.
8
Create a second pose for the walk cycle (figure 4-9) by doing the
following:
Position Mias legs and arms so that she looks similar to

figure 4-9. The right foot is forward and on the ground, and the
left foot is back to provide momentum.
Select the Mia_Ctrl:ServoControl effector, and translate the

Servo arm so it reaches in front of Mia.
51

Create poses
With the Mia_Ctrl:ServoControl effector still selected, open the

pincers about half-way using the Close_Open property in the
Properties window (figure 4-9, B).
A
B
figure 4-9: A. The second pose for the walk cycle. B. Adjust the Close_Open
property to control the pincers.
In the Pose Controls, click Create. Right-click and rename this

pose as Walk 02 (figure 4-10, A).
figure 4-10: Pose Controls

A. Right-click and rename the
second pose Walk 02.
10 Create the final pose for the walk cycle (figure 4-11) by doing the
following:
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52
Position Mias legs and arms so that her step appears similar
to figure 4-11.

Create poses
Select the Mia:ServoControl effector and extend the Servo arm

to reach even further in front of Mia.
With the Mia:ServoControl still selected, use the Close_Open

property in the Properties window to open the pincers further
(figure 4-11, B).
In this pose, the left leg goes back, and the Servo arm goes
forward, completing one step for the first half of the walk
cycle.
A
B
figure 4-11: A. The third pose for the walk cycle. B. The Close_Open property.
11 In the Pose Controls, click Create. Right-click and rename this

pose as Walk 03.
You now have three poses listed in the Scene browser (figure 412).
figure 4-12: The three poses you

have created are listed in the Pose
browser.
53

Create animation with poses

In this step, you will use the three poses you have created to create
one half of a walk cycle. By keyframing these poses at different
frames, you will create a short walking animation.
1
In the Character Controls window, deselect any effectors that are

still selected, and ensure that Full Body keying mode is selected
(figure 4-13, A).

A. Full Body Keying mode is selected.
In the Pose browser, double-click the Walk 01 pose to paste it on

Mia (figure 4-14).
B
figure 4-14: Pose Controls A. Double-click the Walk 01 pose.

B. The Walk 01 pose is pasted on Mia.
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By default, the Gravity, Translation, and Rotation options are active

in the Match area. This means that the translation and rotation of
the pasted pose match the translation and rotation of the selected
effector on the current character. The Gravity option ensures that
the feet stay at the original level of the pasted pose (normally floor
level).
3
Select the Hips effector, then go to frame 0 in the Transport

Controls (figure 4-15).
figure 4-15: A. Select the Hips effector. B. Go to frame 0.
In the Key Controls window select Layer 1 from the Layer menu
(figure 4-16, A), then click Flat to set a Flat keyframe (figure 4-16,
B). You can also press Ctrl-K on the keyboard to set a Flat
keyframe.
A
B
figure 4-16: Key Controls A. Select
Layer 1. B. Click Flat.
55

In the Key Controls Warning dialog box that appears, activate the
Dont Remind Me Again option (figure 4-17, A), then click Set Multi
Layer (figure 4-17, B).
A
B
figure 4-17: Key Controls Warning dialog box
A. Activate Dont remind me again. B. Click
Set Multi Layer.
Selecting Set Multi Layer lets you set keyframes on the

Mia:ServoControl effector on many different layers, instead of only
on the Base Layer.
The keyframe is placed on Layer 1 on the full body position of the
character, as indicated in the Key Controls window (figure 4-18, A
and B). The keying mode reflects the selected option in the Keying
Mode area of the Character Controls window.
A
B
Go to frame 5 and do the following (figure 4-19):
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56
figure 4-18: Key Controls A. Layer 1

is selected. B. Full Body keying
mode is selected.
Double-click the Walk 02 pose to paste it on Mia.

Press Ctrl-K to set a Flat keyframe.

A
figure 4-19: Frame 5 A. Select the

Walk 02 pose. B. Paste the pose on
Mia and set a Flat keyframe.
Double-click the Walk 03 pose to paste it on Mia.

A
figure 4-20: Frame 10 A. Select the

Walk 03 pose. B. Paste the pose on
Mia and set a Flat keyframe.
Drag the Timeline indicator through the animation to view the step
you have created.
The interpolation between the three keyframes creates the
movement for one step.
57

Mirror poses
Mirror poses
In this step, you will mirror the three poses from the Pose browser to
create the second half of the walk cycle. By keyframing these mirrored
poses after the original poses, you will complete the short walking
animation.
1
In the Match area of the Pose Controls window, activate the Mirror
option (figure 4-21, A).
figure 4-21: Pose Controls

A. Activate the Mirror option
Double-click the Walk 01 pose to mirror-paste it on Mia (figure

4-22, A).
The Walk 01 pose is pasted and mirrored onto the character
(figure 4-22, B). Because you mirror-pasted the pose, the left
leg is now forward, and the right leg is behind to continue the
walk cycle on the other side.
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Mirror poses

A
B
figure 4-22: Frame 15 A. Select the Walk 01 pose.

B. Paste it onto Mia and set a Flat keyframe.
Go to frame 20 and do the following:
Double-click the Walk 02 pose to mirror-paste it (figure 4-23,

A).

A


59

Mirror poses
Double-click the Walk 03 pose to mirror-paste it (figure 4-24,

A).

A

Your animation now consists of six keyframes. The first three

keyframes were mirrored onto the left side of the character,
creating a complete walking movement. To complete a full
animation cycle, your take should begin and end with the same
position.
5
On the Action timeline, copy the keyframe at frame 0 to frame 30

by C-dragging the keyframe from frame 0 to frame 30 (figure 4-25).
figure 4-25: Copy the keyframe at frame 0.
The animation now begins and ends on the same position,

creating a complete cycle.
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Play the animation
Play the animation

1
Click on the Action timeline, then press Ctrl-Shift-A to frame the

animation on the Action timeline to its full length of 30 frames
(figure 4-26).
A
figure 4-26: Press Ctrl-Shift-A to frame the animation you have created. A. Loop option
In the Transport Controls window, click Loop (figure 4-26, A), then
click Play.
As the animation plays, each loop shows a full walk cycle.
In your animation, the movement may be a bit choppy, and the feet
may slide on the floor. You can smooth your movement by
adjusting the animations function curves in the FCurves window.
Summary
During this tutorial, you created poses on a character, set keyframes
of these poses at different points, and quickly created a walk cycle.
You can also save poses in an .fbx file, which lets you reuse your
poses at any time.
In the next tutorial, Retargeting Character Animation on page 63, you
will learn how to retarget animation and a Character Extension from
one character to another. You can also try Creating a Loop on
page 89 if you want to learn how to create a walk cycle using the Story
window.
61

Play the animation
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LESSON 5 RETARGETING CHARACTER ANIMATION
This tutorial shows you how to retarget animation from one

characterized character to another. Since the source character
includes a Character Extension and the target character does not, you
must also retarget the Character Extension.
1
Save the character animation (see page 65).
Create a new scene (see page 67).
Load character animation (see page 68).
Play the animation (see page 72).
Prepare the scene

1
Editing.
tutorial.
63
Lesson 5 | Retargeting Character Animation

Prepare the scene

mia_fk_runstopturn.fbx file into the Viewer window, then select FBX
Open > All takes from the contextual menu that appears. A model
named Mia appears in the Viewer along with her Servo arm
Character Extension (figure 5-1).
figure 5-1: A. Drag the mia_runstopturn.fbx file into the Viewer window.
B. Mia appears in the Viewer window.
In the Character Controls, select Mia in the Current Character

menu (figure 5-2, A).
A

A. Select Mia in the Current
Character menu.
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64

Save the character animation
In the Transport Controls, click Play view the animation on the Mia
character (figure 5-3).
A
figure 5-3: Transport Controls A. Play button

In these steps, you will save the character animation using the Save
Character Animation option. This prepares the animation to be easily
loaded using the Load Character Animation option.
1
In the Character Controls window, select Save Character Animation

from the File menu (figure 5-4, A).
figure 5-4: Character Controls A. Select File >

Save Character Animation.
65

Navigate to where you want to save the character animation, enter

a file name, and click Save (figure 5-5).
figure 5-5: Save File dialog box
In the Save Character Animation Options dialog box that appears,

make sure that the Save Character Extensions option is activated,
then click Save (figure 5-6).
figure 5-6: Save Character Animation Options dialog box
The animation is saved as an .fbx file, including the Character

Extension.
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66

Create a new scene
Create a new scene

1
Press Ctrl-N to create a new scene.
In the Save changes dialog box appears (figure 5-7), click Dont
Save.
figure 5-7: Save changes dialog box
From the Asset browser, drag the dancer.fbx file into the scene,
and select FBX Open > No animation (figure 5-8).
figure 5-8: Drag the dancer.fbx file into the scene.
67

Load character animation
In the Character Controls, select Dancer in the Current Character

menu (figure 5-9).
A

A. Select Dancer as the current
character.

1
In the Character Controls window, select Load Character Animation

from the File menu.
A
figure 5-10: Character Controls A. Select File >

Load Character Animation
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68

Navigate to select the .fbx file you saved earlier in this tutorial and
click Open (figure 5-11).
figure 5-11: Select the animation file you saved earlier.
In the Load Character Animation Options dialog box that appears,

do the following:
Select the Plot to Control Rig option in the Load Technique

area (figure 5-12, A).
Make sure the Replace Control Rig option in the Control Rig
area is activated (figure 5-12, B).
Activate the Reset Control Rigs Rotation DOF option (figure 512, C).
Make sure the Copy Missing Character Extensions option is

activated in the Character Extensions area (figure 5-12, D).
69

Click Open.
B
C
D
figure 5-12: Activate the following in the Load Character

Animation Options dialog box: A. Plot to Control Rig B. Replace
Control Rig C. Reset the Control Rigs Rotation DOF D. Copy
Missing Character Extensions
Version 7.5
70

Mias animation and her Control rig are loaded onto the Dancer
character. Because Mias Servo arm was parented to her right
shoulder FK effector, the Servo arm is attached in the same way to
the Dancer character (figure 5-13).
figure 5-13: Mias animation and her

Control rig are loaded onto the
Dancer character.
71

Play the animation
Play the animation

1
Click Play in the Transport Controls (figure 5-14, C) to play the

animation and observe how both the Servo arm and the animation
are transferred onto the Dancer character (figure 5-14, A).
A
B
figure 5-14: A. The Dancer runs, turns, and stops, using Mias animation.
B. Dancers Control rig is left in the middle of the scene. C. Play button
Notice that Dancers original Control rig is left in the middle of the
scene (figure 5-14, B).
This happens because you selected Replace Control Rig in the
Load Character Animation Options dialog box. Dancers Control rig
has been replaced by Mias.
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72

Play the animation
In the Scene browser, expand Control Rigs and right-click Control

rig (Dancers original Control rig) and select Delete to clean up the
scene (figure 5-15).
figure 5-15: Scene browser A. Right-click

Dancers Control rig and select Delete.
Summary
During this tutorial, you retargeted animation from one characterized
character to another. You also transferred the Character Extension
from the source character to the target character.
In the next tutorial, Editing Character Animation on page 75, you will
learn how to edit existing animation on a separate layer from your
original animation, then merge all layers together.
73

Play the animation
Version 7.5
74
LESSON 6 EDITING CHARACTER ANIMATION
This tutorial shows you how to modify existing animation by creating

new layers of animation. You will modify the animation, which is
already plotted to the characters Control rig, on two separate layers,
then combine the original animation and your modified animation.
1
Modify the Character Extension animation (see page 77).
Modify the head animation (see page 82).
Plot the animation (see page 86).
Play the resulting take (see page 87).
Prepare the scene

1
Editing.
tutorial.
75
Lesson 6 | Editing Character Animation

Prepare the scene

mia_runstopturn.fbx file into the Viewer window (figure 6-1, A), then
select FBX Open > All Takes from the contextual menu that
appears. A model named Mia appears in the Viewer (figure 6-1, B).
figure 6-1: A. Drag the mia_runstopturn.fbx file into the Viewer. B. The Mia character loads.
Click in the Viewer window, then press Ctrl-R twice to switch to

Producer Left camera. Zoom out to view the entire grid (figure 6-2).
figure 6-2: Select the Producer Left camera view and zoom out to view the whole animation.
Version 7.5
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Modify the Character Extension animation

In this step, you will create a new layer and modify the animation of
the Servo arm Character Extension.
1
Play the entire take (Ctrl-Spacebar) to view all the motion, paying
special attention to the Servo arm.
Right now, the Servo arm bounces along in front of Mia, pointing
towards the red wire-frame effector. Although this effector is
parented to Mias shoulder, the effector moves enough to cause
the Servo arm to jump around while Mia runs.
Press Ctrl-Home to go back to the beginning of the take, then play

it again to frame 50 (figure 6-3).
figure 6-3: Mia at frame 50.
In the Key Controls, select Layer 1 from the Layer menu (figure 64, A).
A
figure 6-4: Key Controls A. Select
Layer 1 from the Layer menu.
77

This lets you set keyframes on a separate layer, while preserving

the original animation on the Base Layer.
4
Select the Mia:ServoControl effector (figure 6-5, A) then click Zero

in the Key Controls to set a Zero keyframe (figure 6-5, B).
figure 6-5: A. Select the Mia:ServoControl effector

B. Set a Zero keyframe.
In the Key Controls Warning dialog box that appears, activate the
Dont Remind Me Again option (figure 6-6, A), then click Set Multi
Layer (figure 6-6, B).
figure 6-6: Key Controls Warning dialog box

A. Activate Dont remind me again.
B. Click Set Multi Layer.
Selecting Set Multi Layer lets you set keyframes on the

Mia:ServoControl effector on many different layers, instead of only
on the Base Layer.
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78

With the Mia:ServoControl effector still selected, go to frame 150

and set a Zero keyframe (figure 6-7).
figure 6-7: Frame 150 A. Mia:ServoControl is still selected.

B. Set a Zero keyframe.
Go to frame 80.
At this frame, you are going to start modifying the animation so
that Mia raises her Servo arm (figure 6-8).
figure 6-8: Frame 80
Do the following:
79

Click in the Viewer window and press T to activate Translation

mode.
At the bottom of the Viewer window, set the Translation XYZ

values to 190, -10, 20 (figure 6-9, A).
Set a keyframe (figure 6-9, B).
A
figure 6-9: Frame 80 A. Set the Translation values. B. Set a keyframe.
Version 7.5
80
Set the Mia:ServoControl effector Translation XYZ values to

96, 24, 91 (figure 6-10, A).

A
figure 6-10: Frame 120 A. Set the Translation XYZ values. B. Set a
keyframe.
10 Go to frame 140 and do the following:
Set the Translation XYZ values to 112, -31, 12 (figure 6-11,

A).
A
figure 6-11: Frame 140 A. Set the Translation XYZ values.
B. Set a keyframe.
81

Modify the head animation
11 Play the animation.

Now, Mias Servo arm raises up as she runs.

In this step, you will use another layer to improve the animation by
making Mia turn her head as she runs, when she stops, and again just
before she turns around.
1
Go to frame 30.
At this frame, Mias head is pointed straight ahead in the direction
she is running (figure 6-12). You will modify the motion so that Mia
turns her head.
In the Key Controls window, select New Layer from the Layer menu
(figure 6-13, A) to create a new layer where you will modify the
head animation.
Version 7.5
82
figure 6-13: Key Controls window

A. Layer menu > New Layer option

A new layer called Layer 2 is added.

3
In the Character Controls window, select the head effector (figure

6-14, A), and switch to Body Part keying mode (figure 6-14, B).

window A. Select the Head effector.
B. Switch to Body Part keying mode.
You can use Body Part keying mode as you create animation on
this layer, since you only need to set keyframes on the head, not
the entire body.
4
In the Key Controls, click Zero to set a zero keyframe (figure 6-15,
A).
A
figure 6-15: Key Controls A. Zero
keyframe button
83

Go to frame 150 and set another Zero keyframe (figure 6-16).
figure 6-16: Frame 150 A. Set a zero keyframe.
With the Head effector still selected, activate Rotation mode

(click in the Viewer window and press R).
Change the Rotation XYZ properties at the bottom of the

Viewer window to 35, 0, 2 (figure 6-17, A).
A
figure 6-17: Frame 60 A. Set the XYZ Rotation properties. B. Set a keyframe.
Version 7.5
84

Set the Rotation XYZ values to 42, 0, -5 (figure 6-18, A).
A
figure 6-18: Frame 90 A. Adjust the Rotation values. B. Set a keyframe.
Set the Rotation XYZ values to 30, -5, 0 (figure 6-19, A).
A
figure 6-19: Frame 105 A. Adjust the Rotation values. B. Set a keyframe.
85

Plot the animation
Deselect the Head effector, and play your animation.

Mias head turns as she runs.
Plot the animation

In this step, you will plot your animation data to combine the original
data with your new animations. Plotting merges all of the animation to
the Base Layer.
1
From the Edit menu in the Character Controls window, select Plot
Character (figure 6-20, A). You can also use the Plot Character
button in the Character settings.

window A. Select Plot Character
from the Edit menu.
Version 7.5
86

Play the resulting take
In the first Character dialog box that appears, click Skeleton (figure
6-21, A), then click Plot in the second Character dialog box that
appears (figure 6-21, B).
B
figure 6-21: Character plotting dialog boxes A. Click Skeleton. B. Click Plot.
All the animation data is transferred from the Control rig to the
characters skeleton on the current take. You can see your plotted
data in the FCurves window as a series of function curves with
numerous keyframes.

Play the take and observe your animation.
The animation of the Servo arm rising up and the head turning are
merged with the original animation of Mia running and turning around.
87

Summary
In this tutorial, you modified original animation by setting new
keyframes on two separate layers, then merged all the animation
together in one take. In the next tutorial, Creating a Loop on
page 89, you will learn how to create a walk cycle using the Story
window.
Version 7.5
88
LESSON 7 CREATING A LOOP
This tutorial guides you through the process of animating a character

and creating a walk cycle with the Story window.
The major steps of this tutorial are:
1
Preparing your scene (see page 89).
Create a Character track (see page 90).
Matching clips (see page 98).
Processing the clips (see page 100).
Testing the walk cycle (see page 103).
Preparing your scene

1
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout > Story.
MotionBuilder displays a new 3D scene using the Story layout.
This layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.

mia_servo.fbx file into the Viewer window (figure 7-1, A), then
select FBX Open > No Animation from the contextual menu that
appears.
89
Lesson 7 | Creating a Loop

Create a Character track
A model named Mia appears in a T-stance in the Viewer (figure 71, B)
figure 7-1: A. Drag mia_servo into the Viewer window. B. Mia appears in the scene.

In this step, you will create a Character track, define the character
affected by the track, and add some animation.
Version 7.5
90

In the Story window, right-click in the Action Track list (figure 7-2, A)
and select Insert > Character Animation Track from the contextual
menu.
figure 7-2: Story window A. Action Track list
A Character Animation track is added (figure 7-3, A).
figure 7-3: Story window A. Character track
91

Select Mia in the tracks Character menu (figure 7-4, A).
figure 7-4: Story window A. Select Mia in the Character menu.
Drag walkaround.fbx from the Asset browser to the Character track

(figure 7-5, A).
figure 7-5: Drag the walkaround.fbx file into the Character track.
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92

Drag the clip so that it begins at frame 0. The clip should end at
frame 98.
figure 7-6: Drag the clip to frame 0 on the Character track.
Tip
You can Ctrl-drag to zoom and Shift-drag to pan in

the Character track.
Play the animation (Ctrl-Spacebar).

At frame 0, the characters right foot is in front and the left foot is
in back. At frame 98, both feet are close together. If you were to
loop the animation at this point, there would be a jump in the walk
cycle.
Go to frame 40. At this frame, Mias right foot is flat on the ground
and her left foot is slightly lifted (figure 7-7).
93

Change your camera view so you can see Mia from the front, as in
figure 7-7.
With the clip still selected, click the Razor button (figure 7-8, A).
A
figure 7-8: Story window A. Razor button
The clip is sliced in two at frame 40 (figure 7-9).
figure 7-9: The original clip is sliced in two.
Version 7.5
94

Create poses
Go to frame 75. At this frame, Mia is in almost the same pose as

she was at frame 40 (figure 7-10).
Select the second clip if it is not already selected, then click the
Razor button.
The second clip is sliced at frame 75, and you now have three
clips (figure 7-11).
figure 7-11: Three clips in the Character track
10 Ctrl-click the first clip, so that the first and third clips are selected,
then press Delete, as you only need the middle clip.
11 Drag the remaining clip to start at frame 0 (figure 7-12).
figure 7-12: The clip starts at frame 0 and ends at frame 35.
Create poses
1
Go to frame 0 (Ctrl-Home).
95

Create poses
In the Character Controls window, select Mia from the Current

Character menu (figure 7-13, A), then select the Hips effector
(figure 7-13, B).
A

window A. Select Mia from the
Current Character menu. B. Select
the Hips effector.
In the Pose Controls window, click Create (figure 7-14, A) to create

a pose. The pose you create is called Mia Pose by default (figure
7-14, B). You may need to expand the Poses folder to see it.
B
A
figure 7-14: Pose Controls window
A. Create button B. Mia Pose
In the Story window, activate the Animate option (figure 7-15,

A) in the Character track. You can only paste poses on a track
when the Animate option is active.
A
figure 7-15: Character track A. Activate the Animate option.
Version 7.5
96

Create poses
In the Character Controls window, right-click the Right Ankle

effector (figure 7-20, A) and select the RightAnkleEffector from
the menu that appears.

window A. Right Ankle effector
In the Pose Controls window, click Paste (figure 7-17, B).
figure 7-17: Pose Controls window
A. Paste button
A one-frame clip appears on the Character track at frame 35

(figure 7-18).
This clip contains the data of the pose you pasted. Now Mia starts
and stops walking with exactly the same pose.
A
figure 7-18: Character track A. New clip at frame 35.
97

Matching clips
Jog (J-drag) through the animation very slowly. Though the

animation begins and ends with the same pose, there is a slight
jump between the clips. In the following steps, you will remove the
jump.
Matching clips
In this step, you will match and blend the two clips to remove the jump
in the animation.
1
Click in an empty space below the track, and press A to zoom in

on the clips.
Select the second clip.

A
figure 7-19: Character track A. Select the second clip.
Make sure the Right Ankle effector is still selected in the

Character Controls window (figure 7-20, A).

window A. Right Ankle effector
Version 7.5
98

Matching clips
In the Story window, click the Match button (figure 7-21, A).
A
figure 7-21: Story window A. Match button
In the Match Options dialog box that appears, click OK (figure 722, A).
figure 7-22: Match Options dialog

box A. OK button
99

Processing the clips
Double-click the second clip to make its settings appear in the

Asset Settings window, then set a value of 29 in the In field (figure
7-23, A).
figure 7-23: Asset Settings window A. Set the In point to frame 29.
The second clip now starts at frame 29, cross-blending with the
first clip (figure 7-24). This blend creates a smoother transition
between the clips.
figure 7-24: The second clip starts at frame 29 and ends at frame 36.
Play the animation. Mia walks, starting and ending with the same
pose.

In this step, you will process the two clips to save them as a single
result clip. Later, you will use this new clip to animate a different
character.
Version 7.5
100

Right-click on the Character track and select Frame Start/End from

the contextual menu (figure 7-25, A). The time range is resized to
fit the length of the clips.
figure 7-25: Character track contextual menu

A. Select the Frame Start/End option.
Right-click the Character track again and select Process Track/

Subtracks To New Clip from the contextual menu (figure 7-26, A).
figure 7-26: Character track Contextual menu A. Select

the Process Tracks/Subtracks To New Clip option.
101

Click OK in the dialog box that appears (figure 7-27).
figure 7-27: Process Track and

Subtracks dialog box
In the Save Clip dialog box that appears (figure 7-28), save your
new clip as mia_walk_cycle.fbx.
You will need the saved clip to complete this tutorial.
figure 7-28: Save Clip dialog box
In the Story window, a second Character track appears containing

the new mia_walk_cycle.fbx clip (figure 7-29, A).
figure 7-29: Story window A. New mia_walk_cycle.fbx clip
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102

Testing the walk cycle

In this step, you will test the new walk cycle clip to see if it loops
smoothly.
1
Make sure that the Loop/Scale option is set to Loop, as shown in

figure 7-30 (A).
A
figure 7-30: Story window A. Loop/Scale option is set to Loop.
Zoom out on the Character tracks, then stretch the end of the
mia_walk_cycle clip to frame 144 (figure 7-31, A). The clip loops
four times.
A
figure 7-31: Character tracks A. Stretch the clip to frame 140.
Right-click any Character track and select Frame Start/End from

the contextual menu.
Click the first Character tracks Mute button (figure 7-32, A) to

disable the track.
A
A
figure 7-32: Character tracks A. Click Mute.
103

Play the animation. Mia walks smoothly for 144 frames.
Summary
In this tutorial, you took a short clip of animation and turned it into a
looping walk cycle. In the next tutorial, Manipulating Clips on
page 105, you will learn how to edit character animation by modifying
clips.
Version 7.5
104
LESSON 8 MANIPULATING CLIPS
This tutorial guides you through the process of modifying character

animation by manipulating clips.
The major steps of this tutorial are:
1
Create a turn (see page 107).
Blend two clips (see page 111).
Add another clip (see page 113).
Match clips (see page 114).
Prepare the scene

1
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout > Story.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Story layout. This
tutorial.

mia_story.fbx file into the Viewer window (figure 8-1, A), then select
FBX Open > All Takes from the contextual menu that appears.
105
Lesson 8 | Manipulating Clips

Prepare the scene
A model named Mia appears in the Viewer window (figure 8-1, B).
In the Story window, there is a track with a clip called
Clip_Run_Loop (figure 8-2). Mia is selected in the tracks
Character menu.
figure 8-1: A. Drag the mia_story.fbx file into the Viewer window.
B. Mia appears in the scene.
In the Story window, click on the Character track (figure 8-2, A) and
press A to frame the clip.
figure 8-2: Story window A. Character track with one clip
Version 7.5
106

Create a turn
Play the animation (Ctrl-Spacebar). You may need to zoom out in

the Viewer window to see all of the animation.
Create a turn
In this step, you will slice a clip in two, then rotate a ghost clip vector
to make Mia turn as she runs.
1
Go to frame 14.
At this frame, Mias left foot is flat on the ground (figure 8-3).
107

Create a turn
Select the clip (figure 8-4, B) and click the Razor button (figure 8-4,
A).
A
figure 8-4: Story window A. Razor button B. Selected clip
The clip is sliced into two clips at frame 14 (figure 8-5, A).
A
figure 8-5: Character track A. The clip is sliced in two at the current time.
Switch to the X-Ray display mode in the Viewer window, then

activate the Ghost option in the Character track (figure 8-6, A).
A
figure 8-6: Character track A. Ghost option is active.
Version 7.5
108
Go to frame 0 (Ctrl-Home).

Create a turn
When the Ghost option is active, ghosts display in the Viewer

window. Clip vector ghosts represent the start and end of each
clip. For each clip, there is one clip vector ghost that you can
select and manipulate (figure 8-7, B and C).
figure 8-7: Mia at frame 0. A. Model ghost B. First clips ghost clip vector C. Second clips
ghost clip vector.
In the Story window, select the second clip if it is not still selected
(figure 8-8, A).
The ghost clip vector of the selected clip is also selected in the
Viewer window.
A
figure 8-8: Character track A. The second clip is still selected.
Click in the Viewer window and press R. Rotation rings appear at

one end of the selected clip vector ghost (figure 8-9, A).
109

Create a turn
If the rings do not appear at the same point of the clip vector as
shown in figure 8-9, double-click on the clip vectors In point (figure
8-9, B) to select it.
figure 8-9: A. Rotation rings B. Second ghost clip vectors In point.
Version 7.5
110
In the Viewer window, enter a value of -70 in the Rotation Y-axis

field (figure 8-10, A). The clip vector turns to Mias right (figure 810, B).

Blend two clips
You can also rotate the clip vector manually by dragging the green
rotation ring.
A
figure 8-10: A. Enter a value of -70. B. The ghost clip vector is rotated.
J-drag in the Viewer window to jog through frames 10 to 20 slowly.

The Mia turns as she runs, but her foot jumps slightly at frame 14.
You need to blend the clips to remove the jump.
Blend two clips

In this step, you will blend two clips to remove a jump in animation
that occurs when Mia turns.
111

Blend two clips
Make sure that the Loop option (figure 8-11, A) is active in the
Story window.
A
figure 8-11: Story window A. Loop/Scale option is set to Loop.
Double-click the first clip to display its settings in the Asset

Settings window, then set a value of 19 in the Out field (figure 812, A).
figure 8-12: Asset Settings window A. Enter 19 in the Out field.
Version 7.5
112

Add another clip
The first clip overlaps the second clip, creating a cross-blend

(figure 8-13, A).
A
figure 8-13: Character track A. Cross-blend between the two clips.
Play the animation. There is no longer a jump at frame 14.
Add another clip

In this step, you will add another clip to the Character track in the
Story window.
1
Ctrl-drag in an empty space beneath the Character track to zoom

out and make room next to the existing clips.
From the Tutorials folder in the Asset browser, drag the

run_boom.fbx file (fig 45-3, A) onto an empty part of the existing
Character track, to the right of the clips that are already there (fig
45-3, B).
figure 8-14: A. Drag the file onto the track. B. The new clip
113

Match clips
Drag the clip so that it begins at frame 46 (figure 8-15). It should

rest against the end of the second clip.
figure 8-15: The new clip begins at frame 46.
Deselect the new clip, then right-click the Character track and
select Frame Start/End from the contextual menu.
Play the animation (Ctrl-Spacebar).

Mia runs, turns, there is a jump in the animation, then Mia is
thrown forward as if propelled by an explosion.
Match clips
In this step, you will match the last clip to the previous clip to remove
the jump in the animation.
1
Go to frame 0.
In the Viewer window, switch to the Schematic view and select the
Mia:RightFoot node (figure 8-16, A).
This node represents Mias right foot and will be used as the
matching object.
figure 8-16: Schematic view A. Select the Mia:RightFoot node.
Version 7.5
114

Match clips
Switch back to the Producer Perspective camera view.
In the Story window, select the third clip (figure 8-17, A), then click
the Match Options button (figure 8-17, B).
B
figure 8-17: Story window A. Select the third clip. B. Match Options button
In the Match Options dialog box that appears, do the following:
Make sure that Mia:RightFoot is selected in the Match Object

menu (figure 8-18, A).
Select To Previous Clip (figure 8-18, B) and Between Previous

Clip and Selected Clip (figure 8-18, C).
The Translation and Rotation options are already selected.
A
B
figure 8-18: Match Options dialog

box A. Match Object menu B. To
Previous Clip option C. Between
Previous Clip and Selected Clip
115

Match clips
Click OK.
The last clip vector moves to match the previous clip.
Deselect Mia:RightFoot.
Play the animation.

Mia runs, turns, then is thrown forward. The jump in the animation
is gone.
Summary
In this tutorial, you sliced a clip of running animation in two and
rotated one clip vector ghost to make the character turn while running.
Then you added another clip with different animation and blended all
three clips together in one seamless animation sequence.
Version 7.5
116

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MotionBuilder Tutorials

Copyright 2006 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lesson 1 Loading and characterizing character models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Lesson 2 Creating and Customizing a Control rig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Lesson 3 Creating a Character Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Lesson 4 Creating a Walk Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Lesson 5 Retargeting Character Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Lesson 6 Editing Character Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Lesson 7 Creating a Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Lesson 8 Manipulating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

About the MotionBuilder

Loading and characterizing character models (page 7)

Creating and Customizing a Control rig (page 19)

Creating a Character Extension (page 33)

Creating a Walk Cycle (page 45)

Retargeting Character Animation (page 63)

Editing Character Animation (page 75)

Creating a Loop (page 89)

Manipulating Clips (page 105)

Before you begin, ensure that the tutorial files

About the MotionBuilder Tutorials

Installing tutorial files

figure 1-1: The Tutorials folder displays in the Asset browser.

Installing the proper FBX Plug-ins

Each plug-in is referred to as an FBX Plug-in since it lets you import

About the MotionBuilder Tutorials

Besides Autodesk, other software companies have also developed

Create a character model in your 3D modeling software of choice.

About the MotionBuilder Tutorials

model" on page 1230, "Bone naming conventions" on page 1261,

Export the character model from your modelling software package.

Start MotionBuilder and load your character model.

Add a Control rig and customize it to fit your character animation

About the MotionBuilder Tutorials

Add Character Extensions to support props or non-human body

Create your animation using different keyframing and character

One efficient method of creating animating involves creating a

The seventh tutorial shows you an alternative method for

Edit and refine your animation.

The sixth tutorial, Editing Character Animation on page 75,

The last tutorial, Manipulating Clips on page 105, shows

10 Retarget your animation between Character models.

About the MotionBuilder Tutorials

Depending on the animation features that you are using to create

LESSON 1 LOADING AND CHARACTERIZING CHARACTER

Prepare the scene (see page 7).

Complete the character map (see page 9).

Characterize the character model (see page 15).

Prepare the scene

Lesson 1 | Loading and characterizing character models

Select the Tutorials folder in the Asset browser, drag the

figure 1-1: Drag mia_blue.fbx into the Viewer window.

A model named Mia appears in the Viewer window (figure 1-2).

figure 1-2: Mia appears in the scene.

Lesson 1 | Loading and characterizing character models

Complete the character map

Lesson 1 | Loading and characterizing character models

A Character asset is added in the Scene browser (figure 1-4, A)

Switch to the Character Definition pane in the Character Settings

figure 1-5: Character Definition pane A. Base nodes

This group of nodes are required for MotionBuilder to recognize the

Lesson 1 | Loading and characterizing character models

In the Viewer window, switch to the Schematic view (Ctrl-W) and

figure 1-6: Schematic view of Mias structure